Our Progress

November 18, 2016

Welcome to the website and blog! We’re thrilled to finally launch it for you. Moving forward, this is where we’ll be keeping you updated as we transform this company from start-up dream into delicious reality.

One of the questions that I get asked most frequently is, “So when will you be opening?”

Now, that question may seem innocuous enough, but there are so many factors involved that I’ve grown accustomed to watching eyes glaze over at the full response. In short, we’re planning on a late 2017 opening if there are no big bumps in the road. However, anyone who has started a company will tell you that there are invariably far more bumps than you could ever plan for.

Where we’re at now.

We’ve solidified our business plan, thanks to the help we’ve received from the Kansas Small Business Development Center and the Kauffman Foundation’s FastTrac course. We’ve finished a solid draft of our Standard Operating Procedures Manual, launched this web page, built a social media presence, begun negotiations on a very promising location, and reached out to local government about our business plan. We’ve identified all the hoops we need to jump through. The trick is now making sure the cards begin to fall in the proper order at just the right time.

Where we’re headed.

First, we need to solidify our financing. Up until this point we’ve been paying for everything out of pocket. Test batches and building a pilot nano-system really takes a toll on the wallet. Once we have the financing in order, we can move on with commercial lease negotiations and begin applying for licensing.

Now, that may sound cut and dry, but commercial alcohol producers like ourselves are subject to three different levels of regulatory bodies; the TTB (federal), the ABC (state of Kansas), and local municipality (Wyandotte). On top of that, we live in a populous that is spread across two states; forcing our hand into interstate alcohol commerce from the very beginning. We will apply for our Special Use Permit and liquor license with Wyandotte simultaneously, in a process that takes at least 80 days. All the while, we will have applied for our production licensing from both the Feds and the State. These licenses can take amywhere from 100-180 days to be issued, and the state withholds approval until after the TTB issues theirs.

At this point you’re probably thinking, “Wow, that’s a lot of work, but it sounds like you’re in the clear after all that!” So while all of this hurry up and wait licensing is going on, we’ll be building out the location to suit our needs. Then comes the building codes, inspections, compliance, etc.

Your eyes glazed over, I saw it. Now that’s a lot to wrap your head around, I’ll grant you that; but I believe with our dogged persistence and the support of our community, we’ll get through this in the coming year.

2017 promises to be a busy one, and we hope you’ll join us for this wild ride as we build our dream. One drink at a time.